CBP seizes fake watch worth almost $4m if genuine

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized a counterfeit version of a rare watch that was shipped from India and destined to a home in Palm Beach, Florida.

The Richard Mille 8 Automatic Winding Tourbillon Smiley watch – which had a $1.2m price tag when launched – is particularly desirable because it is a limited edition with only 50 of them made. The timepieces have changed hands for around $3.8m. CBP officers seized the fake watch on November 16 in Cincinnati.

“Black market sellers attempted to reproduce the look-alike Richard Mille RM 88 Smiley, but it takes one glimpse at the merchandise to know it’s a fake,” said CBP in a statement.

“The packaging, lack of fine details, its originating country and the fact that the shipment was uninsured all aided the officer’s determination that the merchandise was a counterfeit. The day after the fake Richard Mille watch was seized, another shipment of fake watches was confiscated with a worth of nearly $900,000.